This Matariki, we honour the strength, stories, and aspirations of the women who spoke to us for our research, Ngā Ara ki te Kāinga. They guide our efforts and drive our commitment to meaningful change.

Last month, as Matariki rose once more in the winter sky, we marked te Mātahi o te Tau - the Māori New Year, a time for remembrance, reflection, and renewal.

We honour the strength, stories, and aspirations of the women who spoke to us for our research, Ngā Ara ki te Kāinga. They guide our efforts and drive our commitment to meaningful change.

One woman told us what ‘home’ means to her:

“Home. Kind of like happiness ... home is like happiness, comfort, being loved," she said.

We acknowledge the kaimahi and our partners working tirelessly for the 57,000 women experiencing homelessness and housing deprivation in Aotearoa.

This includes the work being done by community-led initiatives such as Te Miringa Trust, a small but deeply rooted organisation born out of reflection, compassion, and a clear call to respond to women’s homelessness in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Recently, we spoke to Kirsten Sloan from the Trust and we're sharing the Trust’s story (find out more below) because it reminds us of what becomes possible when care is offered with trust, dignity, and consistency.

Matariki is a time for reflection and renewal. We wish to acknowledge the severely housing deprived women in Aotearoa who have spoken out in recent years, about their experiences, helping shine a light on the realities too often hidden:

In 2024, Kirsty lived in a tent with her seven and 10-year-old. "I had promised them we would go camping this year, but not like this," she said.

Hine lives in Queenstown and has been living couch-to-couch for more than five months while she sits on a lengthy social housing waiting list. She said she longs to have a place of her own - "a warm, safe home over my head."

In December 2024 Cheyenne had had no address since 2019. She said to TV One “I want to start my life again, yeah, I just want to change my life”.

Teiti spent summer 23/24 camping across Pōneke, documenting her housing struggle in the film HOME. "Even though I could have afforded $400 a week, it would have taken out at least 60 plus percent of my hard-earned wage, my income, and it didn't sit right with me," she said.

Auckland psychology graduate Helen, was homeless throughout most of her pregnancy and for the start of the pandemic. “It turns out having a tertiary education and full-time, well-paying job didn’t make me immune to homelessness… but for roughly eight months I was terrified I’d be living in my car with my newborn baby,” she said.

Māhera broke out of the cycle of poverty and homelessness she grew up in and is helping a new generation of young Kiwis in need. "I remember part of our childhood was that we were hotel-hopping because we had nowhere to go. And I actually only remembered this a couple of months ago - so I had learned how to put memories into a box and hide them away."

Amanda, Taylor and Victoria featured in a photo exhibition by John Crawford. He captured some of their stories:

"I've had a life of hell, me and my sister were both abused by our father, I've been stabbed in the stomach when pregnant and nearly died, all over a packet of cigarettes,” said Amanda.

"I sleep in doorways or in the park, anywhere that's warm will do," said Taylor.

"On a good day on the pavement with my cup I get about 100 bucks", said Victoria.

Olive and Jessica
Dunedin woman Olive lived in her car then in a shed for nine months, until she recently found a home. "There's no floor [at the shed], it's just gravel. It's made of freezer panels. There's no running water. There's no showering or washing facilities," she said.

Whangārei woman Jessica [Ngāpuhi] was living in motels but said she was evicted after leaving her room messy with vomit in the toilet one day. "I just felt like it wasn't fair. It wasn't like, in a shambles. I was just unwell that day," she said.

We hold space for the many more wāhine and tamariki whose names we don’t know, those whose stories are unseen, unspoken, and still unfolding. As we reflect and reset this Matariki, may their experiences guide us toward compassion, equity, and bold systemic change.

Ka mahuta a Matariki i te pae, ka mahuta ō tātou tūmanako ki te tau.

When Matariki rises above the horizon, our aspirations rise to the year ahead.

Nāku noa,
Victoria Crockford
Project Director, Coalition to End Women’s Homelessness

NEWS AND VIEWS

The Post: Our ‘gender-blind’ social housing system is failing women

In an opinion piece on The Post last month, Vic Crockford, Project Director at CEWH laid bare the brutal reality of what happens when our housing policies ignore gender.

During Scrutiny Week, MP Kieran McAnulty raised concerns about women fleeing violence being denied emergency housing. Minister Tama Potaka confirmed that leaving a violent home should never count against someone. But Vic says the issue runs deeper - it’s not just poor policy, it’s a system that ignores women’s realities.

Read the opinion piece here

Read our commentary on the piece here

RNZ's Kathryn Ryan talks to CEWH’s Vic Crockford

In this powerful interview, Vic Crockford talked to Kathryn about how the latest Stats NZ report Housing in Aotearoa New Zealand: 2025 confirms what CEWH and many other organisations have long observed: women in Aotearoa are experiencing homelessness at rates equal to or higher than men, but in far less visible ways such as like couch surfing, overcrowded housing, or uninhabitable dwellings.

Vic called for urgent investment in gender-disaggregated data and a housing system that recognises the unique drivers and experiences of homelessness for women.

Listen to Vic’s interview with Kathryn Ryan here

Read Housing in Aotearoa New Zealand: 2025 here

Spotlight on Te Miringa Trust: Compassionate support for women experiencing homelessness

This month on the CEWH blog, we’re shining a light on Te Miringa Trust.

From their Wāhine Dinners to their newly launched Corazón Fund, which provides small but life-changing grants to women, Te Miringa Trust’s work is grounded in trust, dignity, and community leadership.

We spoke with Kirsten Sloan from the Trust about why listening first, and walking alongside women, is at the heart of everything they do.

Read the full story here

Meet CEWH Project Director Vic Crockford

This month we are proud to profile our Project Director, Vic Crockford. Vic is one of the driving forces behind the Coalition to End Women’s Homelessness.

A long-time advocate for gender equity, Vic established CEWH alongside the steering committee to ensure women’s voices and experiences are no longer overlooked in housing policy. She is driven by the experiences - and positive attitudes - of some of the strong women in her life: her Mum, her Nana, and her great Nana.

Read more about Vic here.

Annette Presley launches new foundation

Tech entrepreneur and philanthropist Annette Presley knows firsthand what it means to experience homelessness. As a young woman, she was kicked out of home and forced to live in her car. Years later, while sharing her story at a school, an 8-year-old boy raised his hand and quietly asked how long she had lived in her car - he was living in one too.

This deeply personal experience stayed with her and now helps fuel the launch of the Annette Presley Dream Foundation, a new multi-million dollar initiative supporting women and young people to realise their potential.

The foundation will fund projects that support health, education, leadership, and wellbeing for women and children - with a strong focus on belief, second chances, and community impact.

“I’ve always believed that when you lift one person, you lift a community,” Presley said.

The foundation will provide a minimum of $10,000 in funding per project, with no upper limit. It will prioritise grassroots, community-led work, particularly initiatives that support women and girls facing hardship.

Applications open July 1 and close August 31, with two further funding rounds in 2026, in March and August.

Read more about the foundation in The NZ Herald article here

Learn more at annettepresley.co.nz

Stable housing is key to reducing youth offending, and the data proves it

New research from the University of Otago confirms what frontline advocates and rangatahi have long said: when young people have access to secure housing, alleged offending drops significantly. The study found that:

youth living in public housing or receiving the accommodation supplement were far less likely to offend than the general youth population.
emergency housing, in contrast, had no clear impact on youth offending.
after three years in public housing, alleged offences dropped 11.7% more than in the general population.

Housing is not just a roof, it’s a pathway to stability, education, whānau connection, and safer communities.

CEWH’s own research, Ngā Ara ki te Kāinga, underscores this. Young people, especially wāhine Māori and Pacific youth, are disproportionately affected by homelessness and systemic barriers. For too many, the system fails twice: first by allowing homelessness, then by criminalising the consequences of it.

It’s time to connect the dots between housing, justice, and wellbeing.

Read more about the University of Otago research here

15–22 June marked Elder Abuse Awareness Week

In Aotearoa, one in ten people over 65 are victims of elder abuse, yet 96% of cases go unreported (Ministry of Social Development, 2019).

Our research highlights how older women are facing rising rates of homelessness - due to factors like widowhood, divorce, elder abuse, financial insecurity, and a lack of appropriate, affordable housing.

“I think some of the older women who we’ve had in here, there’s been some underlying undiagnosed mental health or undiagnosed trauma that’s led them to a space where they’re being vulnerable within their own families, and they’re being financially abused.” – Kaimahi
“Well, really the housing part, when I really lose it is when all my offspring seem to know better than I did [about] what I needed, and that’s when the house got sold from under my feet really.” – Woman

What if we could break the cycle of homelessness?

This is a question being explored by Housing First Auckland in partnership with the University of Auckland, Dr Alice Mills, and Summer Research Scholar and Honours student Elise Leslie.

Elise’s ground-breaking research reveals the stark reality of how homelessness transmits across generations - and why early intervention and housing support programmes are critical for breaking these cycles to achieve better long-term outcomes for adults and children.

The research report highlights a powerful truth: stable housing is more than shelter - it’s a foundation for wellbeing, education, and long-term opportunity across generations.

Read the full research report here

New dental service at Auckland City Mission - Te Tāpui Atawhai

We warmly congratulate Auckland City Mission – Te Tāpui Atawhai on launching its new trauma-informed dental service at the Calder Health Centre in HomeGround.

For people experiencing hardship, dental care is often out of reach, leading to chronic pain, infection, and avoidable hospital stays. This new service removes those barriers – cost, trauma, and mistrust – by offering compassionate, culturally-safe care.

“Poor oral health can impact sleep, social relationships, and your ability to feel good about yourself – even your ability to work or apply for a job,” says Clinical Lead Dr Hugh Trengrove.

The Mission is a proud member of the Dental for All coalition, which calls for the expansion of free dental care for all New Zealanders.

The new dental service at the Mission has been made possible thanks to the support of the Clare Foundation, whose funding enabled the establishment of the clinic, including the purchase of essential equipment, while dentists are volunteering their time and expertise to care for patients.

The Clare Foundation has also provided a three year grant to the University of Otago's 'Dunedin Study' which follows the lives of 1,037 babies born between 1 April 1972 and 31 March 1973, and is considered the world’s most detailed study of human health and development. The funding will enable the Dunedin Study’s dental team to undertake vital research on oral health, to help understand how oral health changes with age and the life course histories that influence this. Find out more here.

Together, these initiatives are helping build a future where oral health is treated not as a privilege, but as a fundamental part of wellbeing for everyone in Aotearoa.

Growing up on Guild Street: How derelict land became a home

In this article for The Press by Social Issues Reporter Maddy Croad, we’re taken inside the thriving community housed at 40 Guild Street, a once-derelict Christchurch site devastated by the 2011 earthquake.

Five years ago, the Christchurch Methodist Mission (CMM), in partnership with the Anglican Church, transformed the space into a vibrant social housing development for 15 families from across the globe. From Iranian and Afghan refugees to young people like Giovanni Manuseuga, Guild Street is now a place of safety, cultural celebration, and opportunity - with children flourishing and parents studying and working.

Congratulations to Jill Hawkey, CMM Chief Executive and valued member of CEWH Steering Committee, for her leadership in helping build this community.

In the article, Jill says there was “huge need,” for more places like Guild St, with 20 families currently in their transitional housing, and that the waiting list at Housing First of people who were long-term homeless was getting “worse and worse”.

Lessons from older women’s co-housing in the UK

In this inspiring article in the Architects’ Journal in the UK, a co-housing development created by and for older women is highlighted. It’s a powerful alternative to the conventional approach to older people’s housing.

There are valuable lessons we can apply here in Aotearoa - both in creating housing that upholds the mana of our kaumātua, and in designing multigenerational communities where everyone feels respected, supported, and at home.

In the article, one resident, Hilary mentions she has twice had the experience of finding residents on the floor of their apartments when she’s had a peek through the front window to say hello.

“But that’s exactly what those windows were put in for,” she says.

This is a practical and powerful example of community-driven design for safety and wellbeing.

A few months before New Ground Co- Housing opened in 2016. From left to right: Shirley Meredeen – Founder (the only surviving member of the original group; it took 17 years to realise their vision. Shirley lived at New Ground for seven years), Sue Tubb, Diane Deeks-Plummer, Jude Tisdall, and Vivien Sheehan.

Australia: Grattan Institute calls for urgent boost to rent assistance for older Australians

This article on ABC News features a report from the Grattan Institute which has revealed alarming levels of poverty among older renters in Australia - particularly single women. There are real similarities here between Aotearoa and Australia.

Key findings:

two-thirds of retired households renting privately live in poverty.
this figure rises to almost 80% for single retired women.
the number of Australians experiencing long-term homelessness is up 25%, and demand for public housing is growing, with 169,000 households on the waitlist.

Advocates are warning that women over the age of 50 are being hit hardest due to lower lifetime earnings, interrupted work histories, and limited superannuation.

The article includes Lyn’s story which is one of resilience, and quiet desperation

After a life of hard work, injury, and divorce, Lyn faces eviction from her long-term rental. She receives JobSeeker and Rent Assistance, but it’s not enough to cover rising costs. She's two months behind on rent and fears ending up in her car.

"We had a mortgage on the marital property and [it] had to be sold… It's left me with nothing, because superannuation wasn't a thing, particularly for females," Lynn says in the interview.

POLICY AND POLITICAL INSIGHTS

Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka denies his policies have contributed to increased homelessness

In an exchange during Parliament’s Scrutiny Week, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka denied that recent policy changes have contributed to rising homelessness or the reported increase in domestic violence victims being turned away from emergency housing.

Frontline organisations, including Women’s Refuge, pushed back - reporting widespread difficulties in accessing emergency housing for women fleeing violence.

The Ministry of Social Development has denied any change in policy, but advocates say refusals are becoming more common. It was this article that prompted Vic Crockford’s opinion piece fpr The Post, which called out the gender-blind nature of current housing policy.

Read the article ‘Tama Potaka denies blame on homelessness, as Women’s Refuge raises alarm’ here on Stuff

He iti te mokoroa, nāna i kati te kahikatea

The grub may be small, but it cuts through the kahikatea

Vic, Helen, Jo, Caroline, and Jill